Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2006

The veteran's claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of his case.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to a lack of competent medical evidence showing that his service-connected psychiatric disability was both total and permanent in nature prior to May 30, 1996.

The Board has determined that service connection for a bilateral foot disability is not warranted, as there is no evidence of such a condition during or within one year after service. The veteran's current psychiatric disorder may have pre-existed service and was not aggravated by it.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased disability evaluation and TDIU due to schizophrenia, finding that the evidence did not show total social and industrial inadaptability or occupational impairment as required by the criteria.

The Board granted an effective date of July 9, 1979 for the grant of service connection for schizophrenia. The veteran argued for earlier dates based on hospitalizations and his first period of active duty, but the Board found no evidence supporting earlier effective dates.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of his claims, including scheduling a hearing and obtaining additional evidence from SSA.

The Board has determined that the veteran's psychiatric disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The chronic low back disability and shortened right lower extremity are also denied as they are not shown to be related to service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of award for nonservice-connected pension benefits is denied as there was no prior submission of a formal or informal claim before August 16, 2000.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to new and material evidence. The VA physician and independent medical expert have provided opinions linking the veteran's psychiatric condition, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to his cardiovascular disease leading to a fatal cardiac arrest.

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for schizophrenia effective May 12, 2003. The veteran's claim was based on the increase in his schizophrenia symptoms first ascertainable on August 31, 2001.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability and bilateral ankle/foot disorder. The decision is mixed, with some issues granted (psychiatric disability) and others not (bilateral ankle/foot disorder).

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and his claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, concluding that the veteran does not have this condition and instead has schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's left leg disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and denied his claim. The Board also determined that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

The Board granted service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and major depression, effective December 10, 2001, and established basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance with the same effective date.

The Board has ordered additional development of the record, including obtaining service medical records and any relevant treatment records from Drs. Lanthorn, Riaz, and Carr. The veteran is also required to provide information about unreimbursed medical expenses from 2000 onwards. A VA psychiatric examination will be conducted to determine the etiology of any currently diagnosed psychiatric disorders.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent evaluation of schizophrenia, finding that there was no definite impairment of social and industrial adaptability from September 4, 1970 to November 11, 1991.

The Board found that the appellant's current psychiatric disability (schizophrenia) is not related to his period of active duty for training and therefore denied service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting psychiatric disorder was not aggravated by his military service.